Book Reviews: Venetia and Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
Venetia by Georgette Heyer. ©2011 Sourcebooks Casablanca (Originally published in 1958). ISBN 9781402238840. Trade Paperback. Regency Romance / Historical Fiction. 375 pages. Source: finished copy provided by the publisher.
Synopsis: At five-and-twenty, Venetia Lanyon despairs of ever meeting the handsome hero of her dreams. Then her long-absent neighbor, Lord Damerel, returns home to Yorkshire. An infamous rake, he is the most scandalous man in all of England and he has set his amorous sights on the lovely Venetia. Determined to woo and win the fair Venetia, Lord Damerel pursues her with a passionate abandon that is soon the talk of the town. But Venetia has no intention of losing her heart to the rakish lord until she is sure that beneath his swashbuckling ways and shocking manners lies a tender heart belonging to her.
Review: First off, can I just chastise myself for taking SO LONG to read a Heyer novel? I should have listened to Courtney eons ago because I am in love! Venetia was simply splendid! Heyer really is second best to Jane Austen (at least where Venetia is concerned). Her characters are witty and beyond charming, her prose is flawless and light-hearted, and her historical detail is immaculate. A lot of modern Regency romance cannot be written, it seems, without some sex scenes … and while I do love a good sex scene as much as the next person, it was so nice to read a Regency romance without any physicality. I think this was the perfect book to serve as my introduction into Heyer and I will not hesitate in recommending it! Definitely a keeper. 5.5
Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer. ©2011 Sourcebooks Casablanca (Originally published in 1955). ISBN 9781402238796. Trade Paperback. Regency Romance / Historical Fiction. 362 pages. Source: finished copy provided by the publisher.
Synopsis: The Earl of Spenborough had always been noted for his eccentricity. Leaving a widow younger than his own daughter Serena was one thing, but leaving his fortune to the trusteeship of the Marquis of Rotherham – the one man the same daughter had jilted – was quite another. When Serena and her lovely young stepmother Fanny decide to move to Bath, Serena makes an odd new friend and discovers an old love. Before long, they’re all entangled in a clutter of marriage and manners the likes of which even Regency Bath has rarely seen.
Review: Since I read Venetia first, I think Bath Tangle had quite a lot to live up to and, unfortunately, it just didn‘t. What brought Bath Tangle down a good many pegs for me was Rotherham and his dishonest behavior through the devious influence and unfair treatment of Emily. Still, Bath Tangle harbors a well-written plot with moral dilemmas (and a tangle of engagements giving way to a comedy of errors) and is rife with the historical detail that makes Heyer such a pleasure to read even if the characters aren’t as likeable as in Venetia. 3/5.
